Pakistan police warned against harassing registered Afghans

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): The Pakistan government has warned its security personnel against harassing Afghan citizens whose residency permits expired last week, an official said on Tuesday.

Issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to the Afghan refugees, the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards expired on December 31. The government is likely to extend the stay of the registered refugees.

A senior federal official confided to Pajhwok Afghan News a national policy on the repatriation of refugees was being given final touches. A decision on the issue will be communicated soon to all provincial governments.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), in a letter dated Dec. 30, directed all provincial chief secretaries and police chiefs to ensure the registered Afghan nationals were not pestered.

The provincial authorities have been instructed to treat well the Afghans with PoR cards. In a letter, SAFRON said no action be taken against the registered refugees till finalisation of the national policy.

Of the 1.5 million registered Afghans in Pakistan, almost one million are living in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Another one million Afghans, living illegally in the country, are often subjected to harsh treatment by police.